Hey everyone.

We're about ready to start work on our PPOR, which is a knock down re-build. After a few months of agonizing searching through all the spec home sights, we found one that fit (narrow block), and meet all our needs, and built on the city side of the western ring road in Melbourne (most won't).

Now, we are finding out, even though we've built spec homes before, our budget has gone over without even trying.

I must admit, I do like the finer things in life - as this will hopefully be our PPOR for a long while, I really don't want to comprimise. The cost of some things are just down right silly $150 for a $10 downlight? Yes, I know there is more wiring involved, but times that $150 but about 30 downlights, and it starts to get a little ridiculous.

I'm quite a handy gal, have a drafting background and a family of builders (albeit interstate!). I am considering now taking on the challenge of owner-builder through a kit home company. Problem is, the savings seem a little too good to be true! I know there will be a lot of work on my part, with organising trades, quotes, insurances etc, but if the cost for a 2 story home goes from $320k to $250k, and getting everything I want, it seems like a no brainer.

I guess my post is just asking anyone if they have gone down the 'kit home' path, and if it's more trouble than it's worth, or something you would reccomend.

Another thing I wanted to add, is that I really like the weatherboard 'cottage' look, which is what most kit homes are made of. The company I'm looking at is Storybook cottages. Somthing similar to this: http://www.storybook.com.au/images_feature5/1.htm

Thanks in advance
AV
 
kit homes

hi, i've thought about it a few times and have kind of been put of ? not sure on end values being the same as traditiional built, but if its $70 k cheaper, will it be $70k less value than normal?? worth speaking to some agents and get some feedback.

the story book cottages do look fantastic, we were looking a while back for a ppor up country and it was trying to find something that would sit on the steep block we had. paid a bloody fortune to an architect in the end and will now probably change some of it cos its gonna cost a **** load to build it....anyway thats another post some other time.

also have you thought about reloacating a old weatherboard or californian bungalow there, clancys of kilmore are quite reputable (some dodgy ones out there!!!) they have houses for sale and can relocate the house new roof and conc stumps for approx $40 - $60k , then all you need is services connected?? same as a new house etc.... something to think about. a good resource for this is the reno kings website, and look in the resource section. also trading post always has homes for sale or relocate???

personally i think the kit homes have come along way, and its most peoples perceptions thats there cheaper looking....

let me know how you go.

whats the lead time?? i know a few near me in bayswater are flat chat cos of last years bush fires etc?? maybe worth checking out as well.

good luck:)
yorkie
 
There are a few other trades and they're all important. Just make sure they're reliable- and dont pay them until you're happy.

And remember, if you do pay them - they're not coming back. And if you don't pay them in a timely manner - they're not coming back. :D
 
Hey everyone.

We're about ready to start work on our PPOR, which is a knock down re-build. After a few months of agonizing searching through all the spec home sights, we found one that fit (narrow block), and meet all our needs, and built on the city side of the western ring road in Melbourne (most won't).

Now, we are finding out, even though we've built spec homes before, our budget has gone over without even trying.

I must admit, I do like the finer things in life - as this will hopefully be our PPOR for a long while, I really don't want to comprimise. The cost of some things are just down right silly $150 for a $10 downlight? Yes, I know there is more wiring involved, but times that $150 but about 30 downlights, and it starts to get a little ridiculous.

I'm quite a handy gal, have a drafting background and a family of builders (albeit interstate!). I am considering now taking on the challenge of owner-builder through a kit home company. Problem is, the savings seem a little too good to be true! I know there will be a lot of work on my part, with organising trades, quotes, insurances etc, but if the cost for a 2 story home goes from $320k to $250k, and getting everything I want, it seems like a no brainer.

I guess my post is just asking anyone if they have gone down the 'kit home' path, and if it's more trouble than it's worth, or something you would reccomend.

Another thing I wanted to add, is that I really like the weatherboard 'cottage' look, which is what most kit homes are made of. The company I'm looking at is Storybook cottages. Somthing similar to this: http://www.storybook.com.au/images_feature5/1.htm

Thanks in advance
AV

i swear i have seen a very similar same house in shanghai, china in a factory.

i am going down that path - but waiting on my land to be settled which is still a far way to go. i've made a deal with my builder since we have Joint venture doing other things- so i avoid going owner builder. he's going with me to spend 2 weeks in a factory to learn the tricks and trades of how it is going to get assembled.

it is normally about $40-$60 per downlight. $150 is a bit of rip off.
 
OMG I absolutely love the Storybook Cottages...

On the kit home path we were recently looking into that for our current build but I found the price difference wasn't enough for all the extra hassle that it seemed to entail. Our current build is costing $380k and the best price for an equivalent kit home I could get was $360k which didn't include connections (power, plumbing etc) in the end I put it in the too-hard-basket file.

I think it could be worthwhile if you had the expertise and time to do some of the work yourself.
 
OMG I absolutely love the Storybook Cottages...

On the kit home path we were recently looking into that for our current build but I found the price difference wasn't enough for all the extra hassle that it seemed to entail. Our current build is costing $380k and the best price for an equivalent kit home I could get was $360k which didn't include connections (power, plumbing etc) in the end I put it in the too-hard-basket file.

I think it could be worthwhile if you had the expertise and time to do some of the work yourself.

Who are you building with now (as a comparison)
 
FWIW I have just done a comparison for the supply of materials (to lock up) of the recent 2 bed kit homes I have been building. Turns out we can save 30% by sourcing all the materials ourself. 30k v 21k.
 
FWIW I have just done a comparison for the supply of materials (to lock up) of the recent 2 bed kit homes I have been building. Turns out we can save 30% by sourcing all the materials ourself. 30k v 21k.

ok, so just do a design and get the materials yourself seems to be the way to go
 
Ah Ha Story book houses
For years and years we have all fallen in love with this quaint cottage that was built on the river bank near me. Never seen another like it.
Its a Storybook house.
Thats why everyone goes goo ga when they see it.
Mind you it is really fabulous.
Now wonder if they have a design to go near the beach:)

cheers
yadreamin
 
Ah Ha Story book houses
For years and years we have all fallen in love with this quaint cottage that was built on the river bank near me. Never seen another like it.
Its a Storybook house.
Thats why everyone goes goo ga when they see it.
Mind you it is really fabulous.
Now wonder if they have a design to go near the beach:)

cheers
yadreamin

are you being serious YD? I have a beachside block of land that needs a 2 storey weatherboard home so it could be appropriate... have considered heaps of options but can't get a definitive decision. As its a long term keeper I have even considered Owner Builder but there is so much mixed opinion as to whether it is worth it. My alternative is to throw on a $200k double brick 4x2 project home and just give up on the views in the short term, then renovate in 10 years or doze it. the holiday market will still pay $50k a year so it's yielding well from the build, even if the land is hopelessly undercapitalised.
 
Looks like you've done your numbers and it all figures out :) Good luck with the project and we love seeing "gals" get their hands dirty. Will keep an eye out on your progress :)
 
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Who are you building with now (as a comparison)

Should probably have added that this is in regional WA so everything costs an arm, leg and your first born ;) For kit homes I think half the added cost is just getting them up here! ... to answer your Q our current builder is Goldman Constructions, a local outfit in South Hedland, 380K for a 4x2, had a friend build through them and quality seems right up there...build seems to be going on 'Pilbara time' however so that's a down side...
 
Storybook Cottages

We are having trouble getting tradies to work for Storybook estimates. Did anyone else find this a problem. The is probably not going to cost what we thought at all!
 
Hah, the house we just built has almost identical colour scheme and stuff as the one in the first post - much lower roof pitch though and has dark grey gutters and verandah posts not more white.

Came to $145k in the end for a 4x2 including delivery, all plumbing/rainwater/septic/stormwater, real timber floors (knock off several thousand if you are just getting cheap laminate or carpet), solar hws (there's another $4k) and a whole bunch of other upgrades like higher ceilings, nicer doors yada yada. Could have built the same floorplan for $30k less but it wouldn't have been as nice. Very happy with the house, looks great, just the right size for us, and with the timber floors in it looks absofreakinlutely amazing inside (if you ignore the plaster dust footprints everywhere). Backyard is a muddy quagmire from the sewer excavations but I'll get onto that when it stops raining.

And there's no way in hell I'd do it again. While it is considerably cheaper buying an unfinished house for $110k and then organising trades yourself to finish it, it is hell on earth chasing them all down, getting them in the right order, trying to get the damn CoC off the builder to get electricity connected, and of course getting the bank to pay for it. And this wasn't even a kit house - it was a transportable!

Next time (if there is a next time) I'm getting a project builder to do the lot for me. I don't need this many grey hairs.
 
I moved a bit over two years ago. In a farming town these days, main industries are trees, sheep, wheat and wind turbines.

Got a permanent creek here (the local real estate agents advertise houses on the creek as 'waterfront', could only happen in a rural town) and I actually had an invasion of frogs inside the house last time it rained for 40 days and 40 nights (felt like that anyway), which was not what I was expecting :eek:
 
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